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RCP(1)                                   BSD General Commands Manual                                  RCP(1)

NAME
     rcp -- remote file copy

SYNOPSIS
     rcp [-46p] source_file target_file
     rcp [-46pr] source_file ... target_directory

DESCRIPTION
     The rcp utility copies files between machines.  Each source_file, target_file, or target_directory
     argument is either a remote file name of the form ``ruser@rhost:path'', or a local file name (contain-ing (containing
     ing no `:' characters, or a `/' before any `:'s).

     The following options are available:

     -4      Use IPv4 addresses only.

     -6      Use IPv6 addresses only.

     -p      Cause rcp to attempt to preserve (duplicate) in its copies the modification times and modes of
             the source files, ignoring the umask(2).  By default, the mode and owner of target_file are
             preserved if it already exists; otherwise the mode of the source file modified by the umask(2)
             on the destination host is used.

     -r      If any of the source files are directories, rcp copies each subtree rooted at that name; in
             this case the destination must be a directory.

     If path is not a full path name, it is interpreted relative to the login directory of the specified
     user ruser on rhost, or your current user name if no other remote user name is specified.  A path on a
     remote host may be quoted (using `\', `"', or `'') so that the metacharacters are interpreted remotely.

     The rcp utility does not prompt for passwords; it performs remote execution via rsh(1), and requires
     the same authorization.

     The rcp utility handles third party copies, where neither source nor target files are on the current
     machine.

SEE ALSO
     cp(1), ftp(1), rlogin(1), rsh(1), hosts.equiv(5)

HISTORY
     The rcp command appeared in 4.2BSD.

BUGS
     Does not detect all cases where the target of a copy might be a file in cases where only a directory
     should be legal.

     Is confused by any output generated by commands in a .login, .profile, or .cshrc file on the remote
     host.

     The destination user and hostname may have to be specified as ``rhost.ruser'' when the destination
     machine is running the 4.2BSD version of rcp.

BSD                                           October 16, 2002                                           BSD

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